Deck 34: Communication Accommodation Theory

Question 1

A strategy of adapting one's communication behavior to become more similar to another person is referred to as:

A) convergence.
B) divergence.
C) moderation.
D) simplification.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A communication strategy of accentuating the differences between oneself and another person is called ________.

A) accommodation
B) discourse management
C) discrimination
D) divergence

Answer 2

D

Question 3

When communicating, Daphne employs the strategy of persisting in her original communication style regardless of the communication behavior of her listeners. In the context of communication accommodation theory, this scenario best illustrates ________.

A) an extractive strategy
B) convergence
C) maintenance
D) an interactive strategy

Answer 3

C

Question 4

According to Howard Giles, which of the following statements is true about the strategy of over accommodation?

A) It shifts focus away from amplification and message simplification.
B) It has the effect of making recipients feel competent.
C) It is described as demeaning or patronizing talk.
D) It is similar to convergence.

Question 5

According to communication accommodation theory (CAT) theorists, the main motivation for convergence is:

A) anxiety management.
B) desire for social approval.
C) personal individualization.
D) relational development and intimacy.

Question 6

In the context of initial orientation, predicting whether a person will focus on individual identity or group identity is difficult, but the additive presence of five factors increases the odds that a communicator will see a conversation as an intergroup encounter. Identify a true statement about these factors.

A) High group-solidarity suggests a higher likelihood of focus on personal identity rather than on social identity.
B) The more specific and negative the images people have of an out-group, the more likely they are to think of the other in terms of personal identity.
C) The "we-centered" focus of collectivism emphasizes similarity and mutual concern within the culture.
D) If there is a distressing history of interaction, both interactants will tend to ascribe that outcome to the individual rather than to the individual's social identity.

Question 7

Giles draws from ________ to cast light on how people will interpret their conversational partners' convergent or divergent behavior.

A) attribution theory
B) cultural studies
C) social identity theory
D) speech accommodation theory

Question 8

Overall, listeners who interpret convergence as a speaker's desire to break down cultural barriers react quite:

A) competently.
B) favorably.
C) hostilely.
D) relationally.

Question 9

Which of the following criteria for a good theory is most problematic for CAT?

A) explanation of data
B) practical utility
C) prediction of the future
D) testable hypotheses

Question 10

Giles has maintained a narrow scope since the inception of his communication accommodation theory.

Question 11

In the context of convergence, a way to bridge the generation gap can be discourse management-the sensitive selection of topics to discuss.

Question 12

Counter accommodation refers to direct, intentional, and even hostile ways of maximizing social distance.

Question 13

The elderly often increase the social distance between themselves and the young people through the process of self-handicapping-a defensive, face-saving strategy that uses age as a reason for not performing well.

Question 14

According to Henri Tajfel and John Turner, if one of the interactants regards self or other as a representative of a group of people, their communication will likely become convergent because of their desire for approval.

Question 15

According to Giles, desire for social approval and desire for shaping one's personal identity likely result in a communicator's desire to diverge.

Question 16

Listeners regard convergence as positive and divergence as negative.

Question 17

Communication accommodation theory (CAT) scores high on relative simplicity.

Question 18

While CAT aptly predicts the tensions of intergenerational communication, the theory has limited practical utility.

Question 19

Changing communication behavior in a way that reduces social distance is referred to as ________.

Question 20

While convergence is moving closer to another person's communication style, ________ is strategically separating one's self from another person.

Question 21

For accommodation, what is ultimately important is not how a communicator converges or diverges, but the ________.

Question 22

Analyze the critiques of Giles' theory. Which, in your opinion, is the most damaging? Which is the least? Overall, how important is CAT to the discipline of communication?

Question 23

Does CAT describe your experiences when you entered college or started your first paid job?

Question 24

What key factors affect a person's decision to converge or diverge when communicating with another person?

Question 25

Do you agree with Giles that upward convergers don't get as much credit as when status is relatively equal?

Question 26

Based on the principles of CAT described by Griffin, what suggestions would you offer to a person appearing for a job interview?

Question 27

Discuss the degree to which Giles draws upon or compliments other communication theories. Would you consider him a theoretical eclectic or maverick?

Question 28

How might Giles define effective communication? How might other theorists in this book approach this concept? Where do you stand on the issue?

Question 29

How might a critical theorist such as Poole, Deetz, or Hall respond to CAT?

Question 30

Beyond accommodating verbally, how might CAT principles extend to issues such as those raised by Petronio's CPM (Communication Privacy Management)?

Question 31

Thinking back to Geertz and Pacanowsky's cultural approach, how might one discover the areas in need of accommodation?

Question 32

Giles' perception about intercultural accommodation is, in a sense, a story or a narrative about the desire to belong, to fit in, and to be accepted. Thinking about Fisher's narrative paradigm, does he tell a good story?